Anti-siphon diverter unit



United States Patent 3,376,884 ANTI-SIPHON DIVERTER UNIT Ernest H. Bueknell and Irving A. Ward, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Modern Faucet Mfg. Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,390 Claims. (Cl. 137-119) This invention relates to an improved transfer valve and more particularly to an anti-siphon diverter unit arranged between a fluid inlet and a pair of outlets for normally directing flow through one outlet until the other outlet is opened at which time the fluid discharge is through the latter outlet.

Frequently it is desirable to provide a transfer valve between a fluid inlet, such as a hot and/or cold water inlet, and a pair of outlets, such as a faucet spout and a spray head. It is particularly desirable to provide transfer valves or diverter units which are relatively simple to manufacture, compact and reliable, and which may be readily used with present day control valves or faucets, particularly those employing a single control knob or lever for operation thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved anti-siphon transfer valve.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a reliable diverter unit of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an anti-siphon diverter unit having novel valve means.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the teachings of the present invention, an improved diverter unit i provided including a stationary member, a movable valve member, and resilient valve means. The valve means may include flaps which normally serve to cover ports within the stationary member to prevent reverse flow or siphon action. The flaps move away from the ports to allow fluid flow to a spout or a spray, and the valve means further includes seat means engageable by said movable valve member as a result of the action of fluid pressure thereon to divert the flow to the spray upon demand.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become more apparent through a detailed consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation of a diverter unit according to the present invention and illustrates the antisiphon action thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation of the diverter unit in a position whereby fluid is supplied to a spray;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation of the diverter unit in another position allowing fluid to flow to a spout;

FIGURE 4 is a top sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a resilient valve means employed in the diverter unit.

Referring now to the drawing, a fixture 10, which may comprise a portion of a mixing type control valve or the like, includes a water inlet bore 11, a side bore 12 which may communicate with a spout, and a lower bore 13 which may communicate through a flexible tube with a hand spray. The fixture includes an intermediate bore 14 forming internal shoulders 15 and 16 for supporting a diverter unit, generally designated by a reference numeral 17.

The diverter unit 17 includes a cage-like member 20 which may be formed from a pair of joined cup members 21 and 22. The member 22 includes a flange 23 overlapped by flange 24 on the member 21 for securing these members together. A plurality of ports 25 are provided in the wall of the member 21, and an opening 26 is provided in the lower end of the member 22. An O-ring 27 3,376,884 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 is seated within the bore 11 between the shoulder 15 of the fixture 10 and the flange 26 of the cage-like member 20, which in turn is retained in position by means of a spring clip 28 fitted in a groove 29 within the bore 11.

The diverter unit 17 further includes a valve member, generally designated by a reference numeral 30, which include a tubular valve stem 31 having an out-turned flange 32 serving as a piston and a lower, but intermediate, flange 33 serving as a valve head. The lower end 35 of the stem 31 has an opening 36 therein, and passes through a hole 37 in a guide plate 38 which has a flange 39 secured in (as by a press fit) the lower end of the bore 14 against the shoulder 16. The hole 37 in the guide plate 38 is larger than the lower end 35 of the stem 31 to allow free longitudinal, or up and down, movement.

A resilient valve means or check valve element, generally designated by the reference numeral 40, is made from a suitable resilient material (such as rubber) and includes a plurality of flaps 41 which normally cover the ports 25 in the cage-like member 20. The lower portion 42 of the check valve element 40 is turned inwardly and includes a flange or bead 43 adapted to engage, and provide a seal with the valve head 33 of the valve member 30. The check valve element 40 is retained within the cage like member 20 by means of a metal ring 44 having a flange 45 which engages a shoulder within the element 40. The ring 44 thus secures the element 40 within the member 20 by a press fit.

Detents or protrusions 48 extend downwardly from the upper extremity of the cup member 21 to limit the travel of the valve member 30. It will be appreciated that similar protrusions instead could be provided on the upper face of the piston 32 of the valve member 30.

With the control valve of the hand spray (not shown) coupled with the bore 13 closed, water supplied to the inlet bore 11 passes through the ports 25 deflecting the flaps 41 (as shown in FIGURE 3) of the check valve element 40, through the opening 26 in the lower end of the member 22, and through the outlet bore 12 to a spout (not shown) attached thereto. When the hand spray valve is turned on, water passes through the ports 25 and past the flaps 41, and the water pressure acts against the lower surface of the piston 32 thereby raising the valve member 30 to the position shown in FIGURE 2. With the valve member 30 thus raised, water passes through the interior of the valve stem 31 to the outlet bore 13. Under these conditions, the upper surface of the valve head 32 seats against the flange 43 on the lower end of the check valve element 40 thereby preventing water from passing to the spout outlet bore 12. Siphon action (i.e., flow backwards into the water line because of a reduced pressure condition within the valve), is prevented by the action of the flaps 41 closing against the insides of the ports 25 (see FIGURE 1) thereby providing an anti-siphon seal.

It will be understood that although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and discussed, other applications and structural arrangements are possible. Thus, the embodiment disclosed in detail may be subjected to various changes, modifications, and substitutions without necessarily departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A diverter unit comprising cage means having plural ports therein and an opening in an end thereof,

a valve member extending through said opening, and

having flange means forming a piston within said cage means and forming a head external to said cage means, and

valve means fixedly mounted within said cage means and having resilient segments adjacent said ports adapted to seal said ports, and having a resilient flange means adjacent said opening and adapted to provide a seal with said head upon predetermined longitudinal movement of said valve member.

2. A diverter unit comprising cage means having plural peripheral ports therein and having an opening in an end thereof,

a valve member extending through said opening, and having flange means forming a piston within said cage means and forming a head external to said cage means,

valve means fixedly mounted within said cage means and having resilient segments adjacent said ports adapted to seal said ports, and having resilient flange means adjacent said opening and adapted to provide a seal with said head upon predetermined longitudinal movement of said valve member, and

guide means coupled with an end of said valve member external to said cage means.

3. A diverter unit comprising cylindrical means having a closed end, an open end and apertures around the periphery thereof,

a check valve element seated within said cylindrical means and including resilient flaps arranged adjacent said apertures for selectively opening said apertures to allow fluid flow into said cylindrical means, and having a resilient annular flange adjacent said open end of said cylindrical means, and

a valve member having an end extending into said cylindrical means and serving as a piston therein, and having a flange intermediate the ends thereof and external to said cylindrical means for selectively providing a seal with said annular flange.

4. A diverter unit comprising cylindrical means having a closed end with detent means thereon extending into said cylindrical means, an open end and apertures around the periphery thereof,

a check valve element retained within said cylindrical means by ring means, said element including resilient flaps arranged adjacent said apertures for selectively opening said apertures to allow fluid flow into said cylindrical means and closing said apertures to prevent fluid flow from said cylindrical means, and having a resilient annular flange adjacent said open end of said cylindrical means, and

a valve member having an end eXtending into said cylindrical means and serving as a piston therein, and having a flange external to said cylindrical means for selectively providing a seal with said annular flange upon a predetermined longitudinal movement of said valve member, the longitudinal movement thereof being limited by said detent means.

5. A fixture having a first bore including an inlet and an outlet for respectively receiving and discharging a fluid and a second bore approximately normal to said first bore for discharging said fluid, a diverter unit mounted in said first bore and comprising cage means having plural ports therein and an opening in an end thereof,

a valve member extending through said opening, and having flange means forming a piston within said cage means and forming a head external to said cage means, said valve means having a longitudinal opening therein for permitting fluid to flow through said first bore by mean of said ports and said longitudinal opening in said valve member, and

valve means fixedly mounted within said cage means and having resilient segments adjacent said ports for preventing reverse fluid flow to said inlet, and having a resilient flange means adjacent said opening in the end of said cage means for providing a seal with said head and preventing fluid from flowing to said second bore upon predetermined longitudinal movement of said valve member.

References Cited WILLIAM F. ODEA,

D. I. ZOBKIW, Assistant Examiner.

Primary Examiner.

Disclaimer 3,376,884.Emest H. Buckmll and Irving A. Ward, Los Angeles, Calif. ANTI-SIPHON DIVERTER UNIT. Patent dated Apr. 9, 1968. Disclaimer filed Feb. 23, 1976, by the assignee, Pearl White Bletcher, part interest. Hereby enters this disclaimer to her entire interest in all claims of said patent.

[Oficz'al Gazette June 1, 1976.] 

1. A DIVERTER UNIT COMPRISING CAGE MEANS HAVING PLURAL PORTS THEREIN AND AN OPENING IN AN END THEREOF, A VALVE MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING, AND HAVING FLANGE MEANS FORMING A PISTON WITHIN SAID CAGE MEANS AND FORMING A HEAD EXTERNAL TO SAID CAGE MEANS, AND VALVE MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CAGE MEANS AND HAVING RESILIENT SEGMENTS ADJACENT SAID PORTS ADAPTED TO SEAL SAID PORTS, AND HAVING A RESILIENT FLANGE MEANS ADJACENT SAID OPENING AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A SEAL WITH SAID HEAD UPON PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER. 